Am I ready to play an active role in Suicide Prevention?
Forsomepeople,therecomesatimewhenyoufeelthatyouwouldliketocontributeinsome
waytosuicideprevention.You’renotsureexactlyhoworwhatitmightmeantoyouboth
emotionallyandmentally.
Weknowthatstorytellingisapowerfultoolforchangingattitudes,opinions,education,raising
awarenessandleavinglastingimpressions.Talkingaboutsuicide,sharingtheinsightsandwisdom
gainedthroughyourownexperiencewithsuicidecertainlyhasthepowertosavelives.Itisof
utmostimportancethoughthatYOUareready,andthatyourinvolvementisarewardingand
positiveexperience.It’stoughtotalkaboutsuicidewhenithasanddoesimpactyourlifeso
profoundly.Itcanalsobeincrediblyrewardingandsatisfying.
Duetothenatureoflifeitselfandourownsuicideexperience,thewaywefeelaboutbeing
involvedcanchangeovertimeandvarydependingonthetimeofyear,andsignificantdatesetc.
Asyoureadthisdocumentyouwillseesomeboldquestions.Whenyougettothesequestionswe
needyoutostopandconsideryouranswers.Maybewritethemdownordiscussthemwithyour
familyandfriends.Theyareimportantdecisionpointsforyoutoconsiderifyou’reready.
How do we reconcile our lived experience of Suicide with actively participating in
Suicide Prevention?
Weallhaveourownresponsetosuicidethatisuniquetous.Thewordsoftenusedtodescribethe
experienceareverypowerfulandemotionallycharged.
Takeamomenttothinkofthewordsyouhaveusedtodescribeyourexperience.Havetheychanged
foryouasyou’vereflectedontheexperience?Havetheylostsomeoftheirintensityovertime?
Havingalivedexperiencecanleaveapersonsometimesshatteredandconfusedaboutwhatitmeans
tothem,whileothersuseittoreflectonlifeanditsvalue.
Findingthebalancebetweenbeingabletothinkconstructivelyaboutyourexperienceand
managingtheoverwhelmingemotionsistrickyandthethoughtoffeelingvulnerablewillbedifficult
forsome.
Youmusttakethetimetoreflectonyourexperiencebeforegettinginvolvedinsuicideprevention
activitiestoensureyoucanmanagethatbalance.
Whatisyourenergyanddrivelikeafteryoudiscussyourexperience?Doesitstilltakethesame
timetorecoverorisitlesseningasyoutalkmoreaboutit?Isitimpactingyourrelationships?Isit
impactingyourhealth?
Howhasitimpactedonyourideaofself-worth?Haveyouchangedyourideaofself-worthsince
yourexperience?Ifit’schanged,isitforthebetter?
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Has it been enough time?
Timeisdifferentforallandthereisnorulebooktofollowonwhatistherighttimetogetinvolvedafter
yourexperiencebutthefollowingareguidelinesdoeyoutoconsider.
Ifyouhavelostalovedonebysuicideallowatleast12monthstopassbeforegettinginvolvedinsuicide
prevention.Therearealotof“firsts”togetthrough.
Ifyouhavemadeasuicideattemptallowatleast6monthstopasssinceyourmostrecentsuicideattempt.
Theserecommendationsareprovidedtohelpensureindividuals’arenotvulnerablewhenmakinga
decisiontoparticipate.Levelsofvulnerabilitycanchangeovertimeassuicidalityandgriefmayresurface.
Whenthishappens,itisimportanttoknowthatsteppingbackandwithdrawingfromsuicideprevention
activitiesatthattimeistherightthingtodo.
Howdoyoufeelabouttalkingaboutyourreadinesswithyourownnetwork?
Doyouknowwhattimesyoufeelmorevulnerable?
Why are you doing this?
Weneedyoutobeawareofyourmotivationforwantingtogetinvolvedinsuicideprevention
programssuchasours.Withthisknowledgeitwillhelpyoudecideontherightprogramsinwhich
togetinvolved.It’simportanttonoteyourmotivationmaychangeasyouunderstandorcometo
termswithyourexperience.Thisisnotabadthingbutsomethingtoremember.
It’snotalwayseasytoidentifyyourmotivation.Youneedtolookinwardsandpossiblydiscusshow
youfeelwithaclosefamilymemberorfriendtofindyourmotivation.Don’tbehardorjudgmental
onyourself-it’syouruniqueexperience,sothereisnogoldenguide.Ask“whoisgoingtogeta
benefitfrommyinvolvement”
Usuallyyouwillfindthatyougetamixofyourselfandyourcommunitybenefitingfromyour
involvementandthat’sok.
Whichoneisdominateforyou?WillbeinginvolvedinRosesintheOceanSuicidePrevention
initiativesmeetyourcurrentmotivation?
Youmustbepreparedthatpeoplewillhavedifferentperspectivesonsuicide.It’sacomplexissue
andnotwoexperiencesarethesameformanydifferentreasons.Thosewhohaveattemptedand
thosebereavedlookatitfromdifferentperspectivesandthiscancreatestrongemotions.The
researchersandprofessionaldiscussionscanseemdistantanddetached.Wemustrespectallviews
andacceptthatnooneperspectiveismorerelevantorrightovertheother.
Haveyouexperienceddifferingviewsonsuicidetoyourown?Howhaveyoureacted?Hasyour
abilitytoseedifferingviewschangedastimehasmovedon?
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Should I continue doing this?
It’sextremelyimportanttousthatyouunderstandit’sperfectlyalrightatanytime,whetherit’s
duringtraining,beforeyouparticipateinyourfirstsuicidepreventioninitiativeorspeaking
engagement,oratsomepointthroughoutyourtimeplayingaroleinsuicideprevention,thatit’sok
tosaythatyouneedabreak.
Weunderstandthiswillbeatoughcallforyouandweknowpartofyourmotivationforbeing
involvedispreventingothersgoingthroughthesameexperience.Weknowyouwantgoodtocome
outofsuchapainfulexperienceandthismightdriveyourdeterminationtocontinue.Wemust
thoughberealisticabouttheimpactyourinvolvementishavingonyouandyourlovedones.
Rememberwearedealingwithacomplexissueandnotonepersonhastheresponsibilitytostopit.
Wealldoasacommunity.
Ifyou‘restrugglingwiththisdecisiondiscussitwithyourfamilyorfriendsandseektheirguidance.
YoucanalsoreachouttoyourRosesintheOceanMentorwhowillbeabletodiscussyourconcerns
andsupportyouinyourdecision.
Crisislinecontacts(available24/7)
SuicideCallBackService1300659467
www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au
Lifeline131114www.lifeline.org.au
Mensline1300789978www.mensline.org.au
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